“There are no changes to our current security operations plan for this event,” said Audrey Gibson Cicchino, the convention’s Secret Service coordinator.
Michael E. Hensle, FBI special agent in charge of the Milwaukee field office, said law enforcement’s evaluation of the online activity found no “clear threats” to the Republican National Committee or individuals.
Their comments came shortly after Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) asked the Secret Service to work with the Republican National Convention to further tighten gun restrictions near the convention, according to a person briefed on the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.
So far, the gun-free zones have not changed. The public is banned from carrying guns in and around the Fiserv Forum, where the tournament is being held, but not anywhere else in Milwaukee. Wisconsin law generally allows people to carry guns openly without a permit and concealed with a permit.
Gibson Cicchino said she couldn’t comment on the governor’s request because she hasn’t yet discussed it, but added that she has no plans to change the security perimeter, which determines gun-free zones. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported Evers’ request.
The convention comes two days after a gunman shot Trump at a campaign rally. Trump was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents in Butler, Pennsylvania. Gibson Cicchino said she would only speak about the convention and did not answer questions about the shooting.
Downtown Milwaukee is already Security was tight for the event, with streets lined with fences, concrete barriers, checkpoints and police in bulletproof vests.
Police officials sought to reassure the public on Sunday, saying they were confident in the plan they had put together and would modify it if the situation changed.
“We wanted to reassure not only our convention-goers but the people of our city that we will get through this,” Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said.
Among the outside agencies helping with security for the convention is the U.S. Capitol Police, with 12 officers in uniform roaming the streets Sunday, including those with police dogs and bomb squad vests.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, a Democrat, said in an interview that she was part of a successful bipartisan coalition that lobbied Congress several months ago to increase security funding for the Republican National Convention from $50 million to $75 million.
“I’m the mayor of public safety,” he said. “We don’t just want to have a safe convention, we want to have a safe city.”
Johnson said he understood some convention attendees might be concerned about their safety.
“Given what happened yesterday, that’s a question that naturally comes to people’s minds,” he said.
Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Simming said some delegates had expressed concerns about their safety after the shooting at Saturday’s rally but felt more at ease seeing the police presence.
““Downtown Milwaukee is probably the safest place on earth right now,” he said.
Members of Louisiana’s convention delegation carried clear plastic bags provided by convention organizers as they prepared to board charter buses Sunday evening for a “Red, White and Brew” welcome event inside the secured area. Many in the delegation said they were confident the area was secured.
“Given the amount of police and security there, I’m OK with it,” said state Republican Party Chairman Derek Babcock. “They’re probably going to be a little more strict this time around.”
Babcock, who works for an insurance agency outside Baton Rouge, said as he traveled through Milwaukee this weekend he noticed an increased law enforcement presence than at the Republican National Conventions he attended in 2016 and 2012. A gun owner and supporter of gun rights, Babcock said he typically opposes gun-free zones but this convention was different. Like several others in his delegation, he said he left his guns at home but still felt safe.
“Most gun-free zones don’t have this level of security,” he said.
But Babcock was still concerned about the group’s safety away from the convention site, so he contacted Milwaukee police and a private security company to ask if they could provide extra security at a hotel on the city’s outskirts.
“I don’t feel like the threat has increased significantly, but there is definitely tension,” he said. “I don’t think anybody feels like they’re in danger. We just want to be cautious.”
Babcock, who entered the restricted area late Sunday, said he was impressed with the security he saw. “They have magnetometers here, they have people on roofs with binoculars on tripods keeping watch. It’s pretty heavily secured here,” he said.
Baton Rouge alternate delegate Suzanne White, 63, said she didn’t think many in attendance were scared.
“All I feel is more resolve. I don’t feel any fear around me,” she said. “We have a president who is willing to take a bullet for this country. How can I be afraid to go to this convention? We are with him.”
Stephanie Soucek, a representative for Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, said she received text messages after the shooting from other convention attendees concerned about safety, and that the large police presence on the streets eased their fears.
“I kind of reassured myself because I know that security has been a big focus,” she said, “and actually, after what happened last night … I know people are going to be on high alert.”
Steve Zipperman, a Republican representative from Arizona, a city north of Phoenix, said he was going into the convention with anxiety.
“We’re uncertain what security measures will be in place and what Trump will say about it,” Zipperman said. “We want a peaceful trip and event.” He predicted the shooting would change security measures not just for the convention but also during the campaign.
“I think the candidates on both sides are very complacent about security at this point,” he said. “In some ways, this is a wake-up call.”
Yvonne Winget Sanchez contributed to this report from Phoenix.
